Treasury

Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill

lord bates: My right honourable friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mel Stride) has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement. I have today published a written submission outlining the Government’s analysis of how the English Votes for English Laws principle relates to all Government amendments tabled for Report Stage of the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill. The department’s assessment is that the amendments do not change the territorial application of the Bill. I have deposited a copy of the submission in the Libraries of the House.


This statement has also been made in the House of Commons: 
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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Annual Human Rights and Democracy Report 2017

lord ahmad of wimbledon: My Right Honourable Friend, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Jeremy Hunt), has made the following written Ministerial statement:I have today laid before Parliament a copy of the 2017 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Report on Human Rights and Democracy (Cm number:9644).The report analyses human rights developments overseas in 2017 and illustrates how the government works to promote and defend human rights globally.The report assesses the situation in 30 countries, which the FCO has designated as its Human Rights Priority Countries. These are Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burma, Burundi, Central African Republic, China, Colombia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Libya, Maldives, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Yemen and Zimbabwe.This year marks the 70th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The report I have laid before Parliament today demonstrates that the principles and values enshrined in the Universal Declaration remain as crucial as ever. It also serves as a reminder that ensuring universal respect for those principles remains a difficult task. The UK Government will continue to play a significant part in this endeavour to protect the ‘inherent dignity’ of ‘all members of the human family’.


This statement has also been made in the House of Commons: 
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British Council Annual Report 2017-18

lord ahmad of wimbledon: My Right Honourable Friend, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mark Field), has made the following written Ministerial statement:Copies of the British Council’s Annual Report and Accounts for the 2017-18 financial year have been placed in the libraries of both Houses. The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities and it makes a significant contribution to projecting British values overseas. In doing so they make a lasting difference to the UK’s security, prosperity and influence. They are the world’s leading cultural relations organisation, reaching over 758m people in over 100 countries in 2017/18. This included 14 million face-to-face participants in British Council programmes, 42 million customers using British Council digital social media and learning products and 19 million visitors to British Council Exhibitions. They are a significant driver of UK soft power.The Council received £168m grant-in-aid from the FCO in 2017/18. The FCO is committed to continuing its support of the British Council’s excellent work. The FCO has protected the British Council’s budget and has increased its overall grant over the current Spending Review period. It has also recently agreed to provide additional funding in this period specifically to support the British Council’s work in Europe and in the developed world.The Report can also be found at the British Council’s website www.britishcouncil.org


This statement has also been made in the House of Commons: 
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Department for International Trade

Trade Bill – Analysis on the application of Standing Order No.83L of the Standing Orders of the House of Commons relating to Public Business in respect of Government amendments tabled for Report stage

baroness fairhead: My hon Friend the Minister of State for Trade Policy (George Hollingbery) has today made the following statement:The English Votes for English Laws process applies to public bills in the House of Commons. To support the process, the Government has agreed that it will provide information to assist the Speaker in considering whether to certify the Bill or any of its provisions for the purposes of English Votes for English Laws. Bill provisions that relate exclusively to England or to England and Wales, and which have a subject matter within the legislative competence of one or more of the devolved legislatures, can be certified.Report Stage AmendmentsThe memorandum, which I will place in the libraries of both Houses, provides an assessment of Government amendments tabled to the Trade Bill, for the purposes of English Votes for English Laws, ahead of Report stage in the House of Commons. The Department for International Trade’s assessment is that the amendments do not change the territorial application of the Bill, for the purpose of Standing Order No.83L of the Standing Orders of the House of Commons as set out in the Explanatory Notes to the Bill at introduction and as reproduced below.The above assessment is represented in tabular form below.ProvisionExtends to E & W and applies to England?Extends to E & W and applies to Wales?Extends and applies to Scotland?Extends and applies to Northern Ireland?Would corresponding provision be within the competence of the National Assembly of Wales?Would corresponding provision be within the competence of the Scottish Parliament?Would corresponding provision be within the competence of the Northern Ireland Assembly?Legislative Consent Motion needed?Part 1 (Clauses 1-7)YesYesYesYesN/AN/AN/AYes (S, W, NI)Part 2 (Clauses 8-9)YesYesYesYesN/AN/AN/ANoPart 3 (Clauses 10-11)YesYesYesYesN/AN/AN/ANoPart 4 (Clauses 12-15)YesYesYesYesN/AN/AN/ANoSchedules 1-3YesYesYesYesN/AN/AN/AYes (S, W, NI)Schedule 4YesYesYesYesN/AN/AN/ANoSchedule 5YesYesYesYesN/AN/AN/ANo